Who Are Veterinary Infection Preventionists?

Infection prevention and control (IPC) is a critical part of health care, and veterinary medicine is no exception. Danielle Banks, BSc (Hons) RVN GradDipVN, is a registered veterinary nurse for Davies Veterinary Specialists, based in the north of London, England, in Hitchin Hertfordshire.

She is at the forefront of advancing IPC in animal care. With over 20 years of experience, Banks has dedicated her career to improving infection control protocols in veterinary hospitals, which traditionally lag behind human health care.

Recently, Banks sat down with Infection Control Today^® (ICT^®) to discuss her role and its importance, not only with animals, but with the broader One Health initiative.

Banks explains that veterinary IPC is a relatively new field, but it is gaining traction due to the growing concerns over antimicrobial resistance and the One Health approach—recognizing the interconnection between human, animal, and environmental health. While hospitals and clinics in human medicine have well-established IPC protocols, veterinary practices must often adapt research and guidelines from human health care to fit their unique settings.

“My role as an IP veterinary nurse is really rare. I'm fortunate to have this role. So, within the veterinary group, I certainly work for most clinics. Rather than having a dedicated IP nurse, we would have infection control representatives. So they're effectively, there's someone who champions IP within their clinic, and that might be a lead nurse or a clinician who has that additional responsibility on top of their existing role. They're championing hand hygiene. They will be the ones to help inspire and create that necessary positive culture around hand hygiene. They will be doing the training, the education piece, those compliance checks, and, of course, those gentle reminders, which are important."

Bank continues, "The other thing that I see certainly is that that leadership and management support, that that's right, vital, so that you know staff on the clinic floor can see leaders practicing that hand hygiene so then others follow, and it embeds IP and hand hygiene as part of patient and staff safety.”

A typical day for Banks involves staff training, policy development, environmental cleaning oversight, patient placement, and monitoring infection rates. She also works on outbreak management and collaborates with public health officials when necessary. Banks helps shape IPC strategies across multiple veterinary clinics as part of a UK-wide veterinary group, ensuring standardized best practices.

One major challenge in veterinary IPC is antimicrobial resistance. Banks emphasizes the importance of educating pet owners about responsible antibiotic use and the risks of overprescribing. She also highlights the need for improved hand hygiene adherence, an issue that parallels human health care settings.

Banks envisions a future where veterinary IPC is more structured, with dedicated training courses and professional networks similar to human healthcare. With increasing awareness and collaboration, veterinary infection control will continue to evolve, benefiting both animal and human health.